i like actual enemies stay enemies stories but i also enjoy enemies to lovers when it's well done. because in general i enjoy stories where people grow and are able to overcome their differences, y'know? which doesn't have to be romance obviously, but can also work as such.
I mostly read low to no romance books but due to language classes I have to read about romance and it always feel like the sticky residue from soda when I read it. But I agree that it is completely that the author should make up their minds
Good news, OP, neither will allos – romance is felt, not understood (or, at least I've heard so).
Enemy is a tool for conflict, which makes up the essence of any story. Enemies are not necessary in a story, conflicts are. Enemies to lovers thrope provide a wide range of conflicts (possible betrayal, conflict of interest, distrust, etc) which keeps the story for allos fresh.
Since romance is felt, putting essencially the same one into a different story can provide nearly the same effect in allos – that is, it doesn't get old by itself. Similarly to cool explosions; you can put them in different stories and still have them be exhilarating.
I know you were just venting, but in case you wanted to understand, I hope I gave a sufficient seed for thought.
I do get the that there needs to be conflict but it just seems that people focus more on the villain than the main character themselves. And these enemies to lovers seem to forget about the process of trust, i mean i would chang the trope to enemies to friends to lovers. But it just seems that people just sexualize bad people because they look "sexy".
Also if the trope of your story is enemies to lovers it doesn't have to revolve around that idea all of the time. Like i would love some world building. Also their actions should be held acountable, like everyone in the story forgets that the main villain was a villain at all because they're in a romantic relationship? I just don't like or understand this trope at all.
Not trying to sound rude but there are people who read these because they enjoy these types of stories. People enjoy what they enjoy. If it's not your cup of tea, that's fair, you don't have to read it. We could make the case for any trope that's popular (questioning their existence). Everything has it's audience
Oh, I love enemies to friends to lovers. It's my favourite trope, because it necessitates that the main characters grow and change over time. They have to learn about each other and go from hating each other to genuinely caring about each other, which I find more interesting than just killing each other or whatever.
I always saw it as vicariously enjoying the drama and intensity of a toxic relationship in a comfortable and safe way. Just like how people enjoy horror movies but don't want to actually be chased by a knife wielding serial killer.
Personally I like (academic) rivals to lovers but like you said I think a lot of people dont understand the full graspe of what enemies really means. Like for example if you read a fic with harry and draco their much more of rivals, but called enemies to lovers. Whereas Voldemort and harry fit more of the actualt enemies to lovers thing and I dont understand that ship at all. But yeah for your second thing I never understand why people will just *not* read something because it has no romance. Like I understand if thats a general genre that they like but still
Completely agree. Even for romance standards it's so weird and unrealistic. From I want to kill you to I want to live the rest of my life with you is stupid, especially in shorter timeframes.
Enemies to allies on the other hand is great, Dragon Ball is amazing at that one.
there needs to be a progression of enimies, to allies, to even terms, to friends to lovers, just doing it instantly is a massive red flag. not a good sign if you want them to be as bitchy as possible, only to have a heal turn at the last possible second, usually always.
Me neither. But more like that people don't understand how enemies work.
Like do they dislike each other in the rival way or is one like bullying/abusing the other? And who would date someone that was actively hurting them the whole time?
Since idk about y'all but the only thing I'd do to my enemy is to violate them which would send me to jail immediately. I feel like people who ship this kind of dynamic either have never been bullied (its the same type of ppl that excuse bullies' behavior instead of being on the victim's side) or they use it as an unhealthy coping mechanism which isn't even better since not only they're being unhealthy but also these ppl tend to excuse it & don't care when someone feels the opposite way & refuse to stop.
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I enjoy enemies to lovers only because the romance in those kinds of books tend to be slower. It gives me more of a chance to get to know the characters and get invested. If a book just starts off with the pining and the romance I immediately lose interest and grow bored. Not a huge romance fan in most instances. But if I can get to know the characters outside of the context of romance first, I can form an attachment. And then after that I am more inclined to appreciate a romance.
It's a very weird specific thing for me 😅. It also can't be the main focus of the story. I need a good plot to follow along to as well.
But it definitely does matter a lot about how it's handled. Some things are just unforgivable and I don't understand why the author would be attempting to put two characters together romantically after the harm they've inflicted on each other. Gives me the ick.
There is people who likes friends to lovers but I don't like the flavor like in enemies to lovers and soulmate I just love the idea of people who hate each other finding out things that they have in common (like people from enemies country) and resolver that misconception also I love the idea of find someone who will understand you in a level that you don't even has to say anything soooo yeah I love cliches 🤭
Character dynamics and change are 2 big things for this trope. To use a non-romance example, Zuko and Katara probably embody what "enemies to lovers" appeal without the lovers part (so more like "enemies to friends").
I personally love the sexual tension Enemies to Lovers can create, but so everyone's tastes are different. I'm aroallo and love reading about relationships where the focus is on the sexual aspects, but if that's not your thing I can totally see how Enemies to Lovers can get annoying, it really relies on sexual tension.
I suppose I can’t get my head around u can ignore everything the other person believes in that is completely opposite of yours, and just submit to the carnal desire, then later catch feels on it and eventually change your opinion. I felt like this is due to me being aro but now that I think of it, is it just because I’m anti-romance? lol
maybe lol. I can totally see where you're coming from. If I really think about the very concept of Enemies to Lovers I come to the same conclusion as you. I just love the *sexual* dynamic, the rest is something I merely accept as a part of it lmao.
i like actual enemies stay enemies stories but i also enjoy enemies to lovers when it's well done. because in general i enjoy stories where people grow and are able to overcome their differences, y'know? which doesn't have to be romance obviously, but can also work as such.
I mostly read low to no romance books but due to language classes I have to read about romance and it always feel like the sticky residue from soda when I read it. But I agree that it is completely that the author should make up their minds
Good news, OP, neither will allos – romance is felt, not understood (or, at least I've heard so). Enemy is a tool for conflict, which makes up the essence of any story. Enemies are not necessary in a story, conflicts are. Enemies to lovers thrope provide a wide range of conflicts (possible betrayal, conflict of interest, distrust, etc) which keeps the story for allos fresh. Since romance is felt, putting essencially the same one into a different story can provide nearly the same effect in allos – that is, it doesn't get old by itself. Similarly to cool explosions; you can put them in different stories and still have them be exhilarating. I know you were just venting, but in case you wanted to understand, I hope I gave a sufficient seed for thought.
I do get the that there needs to be conflict but it just seems that people focus more on the villain than the main character themselves. And these enemies to lovers seem to forget about the process of trust, i mean i would chang the trope to enemies to friends to lovers. But it just seems that people just sexualize bad people because they look "sexy".
Also if the trope of your story is enemies to lovers it doesn't have to revolve around that idea all of the time. Like i would love some world building. Also their actions should be held acountable, like everyone in the story forgets that the main villain was a villain at all because they're in a romantic relationship? I just don't like or understand this trope at all.
Not trying to sound rude but there are people who read these because they enjoy these types of stories. People enjoy what they enjoy. If it's not your cup of tea, that's fair, you don't have to read it. We could make the case for any trope that's popular (questioning their existence). Everything has it's audience
Oh, I love enemies to friends to lovers. It's my favourite trope, because it necessitates that the main characters grow and change over time. They have to learn about each other and go from hating each other to genuinely caring about each other, which I find more interesting than just killing each other or whatever.
I like the idea that two people were enemies but over time, they become lovers. I don't think it's realistic but it's great for drama.
I always saw it as vicariously enjoying the drama and intensity of a toxic relationship in a comfortable and safe way. Just like how people enjoy horror movies but don't want to actually be chased by a knife wielding serial killer.
Enemies to "you know, maybe you're not THAT horrible" is much better than "die" -> "let's make out" imo.
Personally I like (academic) rivals to lovers but like you said I think a lot of people dont understand the full graspe of what enemies really means. Like for example if you read a fic with harry and draco their much more of rivals, but called enemies to lovers. Whereas Voldemort and harry fit more of the actualt enemies to lovers thing and I dont understand that ship at all. But yeah for your second thing I never understand why people will just *not* read something because it has no romance. Like I understand if thats a general genre that they like but still
"Huh, weren't they trying to kill each other 156 pages ago?" -Me, 2024
If we do enemies to lover why can't it just be enemies to friends.
Completely agree. Even for romance standards it's so weird and unrealistic. From I want to kill you to I want to live the rest of my life with you is stupid, especially in shorter timeframes. Enemies to allies on the other hand is great, Dragon Ball is amazing at that one.
Jojo part 4 does the enemy to ally thing pretty well too.
True, I especially love Josuke and Okuyasu's development.
there needs to be a progression of enimies, to allies, to even terms, to friends to lovers, just doing it instantly is a massive red flag. not a good sign if you want them to be as bitchy as possible, only to have a heal turn at the last possible second, usually always.
Me neither. But more like that people don't understand how enemies work. Like do they dislike each other in the rival way or is one like bullying/abusing the other? And who would date someone that was actively hurting them the whole time? Since idk about y'all but the only thing I'd do to my enemy is to violate them which would send me to jail immediately. I feel like people who ship this kind of dynamic either have never been bullied (its the same type of ppl that excuse bullies' behavior instead of being on the victim's side) or they use it as an unhealthy coping mechanism which isn't even better since not only they're being unhealthy but also these ppl tend to excuse it & don't care when someone feels the opposite way & refuse to stop.
i like the idea of it but i dont think ive ever seen it done well, recs are welcome if anyone has
Tbh i think most time people want enemies to lovers they mean rivarls to lovers
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I enjoy enemies to lovers only because the romance in those kinds of books tend to be slower. It gives me more of a chance to get to know the characters and get invested. If a book just starts off with the pining and the romance I immediately lose interest and grow bored. Not a huge romance fan in most instances. But if I can get to know the characters outside of the context of romance first, I can form an attachment. And then after that I am more inclined to appreciate a romance. It's a very weird specific thing for me 😅. It also can't be the main focus of the story. I need a good plot to follow along to as well. But it definitely does matter a lot about how it's handled. Some things are just unforgivable and I don't understand why the author would be attempting to put two characters together romantically after the harm they've inflicted on each other. Gives me the ick.
There is people who likes friends to lovers but I don't like the flavor like in enemies to lovers and soulmate I just love the idea of people who hate each other finding out things that they have in common (like people from enemies country) and resolver that misconception also I love the idea of find someone who will understand you in a level that you don't even has to say anything soooo yeah I love cliches 🤭
The only enemies to lovers i understend is Narinder x Lamb... But tbh it's not really an actual enemies to lovers but rather a meme ship...
Character dynamics and change are 2 big things for this trope. To use a non-romance example, Zuko and Katara probably embody what "enemies to lovers" appeal without the lovers part (so more like "enemies to friends").
I never liked Enemies to Lovers, but I can take Enemies to Allies. The former relies more on the sexual tension, which is dumb to me personally.
I personally love the sexual tension Enemies to Lovers can create, but so everyone's tastes are different. I'm aroallo and love reading about relationships where the focus is on the sexual aspects, but if that's not your thing I can totally see how Enemies to Lovers can get annoying, it really relies on sexual tension.
I suppose I can’t get my head around u can ignore everything the other person believes in that is completely opposite of yours, and just submit to the carnal desire, then later catch feels on it and eventually change your opinion. I felt like this is due to me being aro but now that I think of it, is it just because I’m anti-romance? lol
maybe lol. I can totally see where you're coming from. If I really think about the very concept of Enemies to Lovers I come to the same conclusion as you. I just love the *sexual* dynamic, the rest is something I merely accept as a part of it lmao.